The present invention relates generally to a breast milk absorbent pad adapted to be put on a wearer's skin so as to be covered with the other wearing article such as a brassiere.
Breast milk absorbent pads have conventionally been well known, which typically comprises a liquid-absorbent layer and a liquid leak-barrier sheet covering the outer surface of the liquid-absorbent layer. For example, both Japanese Unexamined Patent application Publication No. 2000-178805 (hereinafter referred to as “Reference 1”) and Japanese Unexamined Patent application Publication No. 2001-11705 (hereinafter referred to as “Reference 2”) disclose the breast milk absorbent pad generally comprising a pad-chassis composed of a body fluid absorbent structure and a leak-barrier sheet attached to the outer side of the absorbent structure, and a pair of elastically stretchable/contractible members respectively extending along transversely opposite edges of the absorbent structure, of which the contractile force causes the pad-chassis to be appropriately curved.
However, the breast milk absorbent pads disclosed in References 1 and 2 have left various problems behind unsolved. For example, a plurality of irregular gathers are formed along the transversely opposite edges of the breast milk absorbent pad under the contractile force of the elastically stretchable/contractible members and these gathers are directly pressed against the wearer's skin. Consequentially, these gathers may cause a feeling of discomfort for the wearer and often leave compression marks on the wearer's skin. In addition to such problems, it is likely that the transversely opposite edges of the pad might fail to be kept in close contact with the wearer's skin, resulting in leak of breast milk.
Usually, the breast milk absorbent pad may be inserted between the wearer's skin and the associated brassiere which has been spaced apart from the wearer's skin in order to wear the pad and the breast milk absorbent pad may be slipped down but not taken off in order to breast-feed a baby. In these cases, the type of breast milk absorbent pad as disclosed in References 1 and 2 may have the upper end of the pad unintentionally folded inward under the contractile force of the elastically stretchable/contractible members provided along the transversely opposite edges thereof. If it is intended to insert the breast milk absorbent pad having the upper end or the lower end folded inward between the brassiere and the wearer's skin from above or beneath, the folded upper or lower end may catch on the wearer's skin or the inner side of the brassiere and further folded inward or outward. Thus the breast milk absorbent pad as a whole may sometimes be folded inward or outward and it may be impossible to wear the breast milk absorbent pad. If it is intended to wear the breast milk absorbent pad folded in this manner, not only the wearer's skin will experience a feeling of discomfort but also an effective area for absorption will be unacceptably reduced due to the liquid-barrier material folded inward or outward with respect to the pad, possibly resulting in leak of breast milk.
In addition, if the breast milk absorbent pad fastened to the brassiere at a center thereof is slipped down in order to breast-feed her baby, the upper and lower ends of the breast milk absorbent pad already in a folded state will be further folded inward with respect to the breast milk absorbent pad under the contractile force of the elastically stretchable/contractible members. When the brassiere is repositioned after her baby has been breast-fed, the wearer must properly unfold the pad.